How can you ensure the effectiveness of test automation in agile STLC documentation?

1 Test automation strategy

The test automation strategy is a high-level document that defines the goals, scope, approach, tools, and metrics of your test automation process. It should be aligned with the agile manifesto and values, such as delivering working software frequently, responding to change, and collaborating with stakeholders. The test automation strategy should also consider the specific characteristics and needs of your agile project, such as the sprint duration, the user stories, the acceptance criteria, and the definition of done.

2 Test automation framework

The test automation framework is a set of guidelines, standards, and best practices that support the development and execution of your test automation scripts. It should be designed to ensure the reusability, maintainability, scalability, and reliability of your test automation code. The test automation framework should also be documented to provide a clear and consistent structure, naming convention, coding style, and reporting format for your test automation scripts. The documentation should include the architecture, components, libraries, and tools of your test automation framework, as well as the instructions on how to set up, run, and troubleshoot your test automation scripts.

3 Test automation scripts

The test automation scripts are the actual code that performs the testing actions and validations on your software application. They should be written in a clear, concise, and readable manner, following the test automation framework guidelines and standards. The test automation scripts should also be documented to provide a description, purpose, scope, and expected result of each test case or scenario. The documentation should include the test data, preconditions, steps, assertions, and postconditions of your test automation scripts, as well as the annotations, comments, and logs that explain the logic and flow of your test automation code.

4 Test automation results

The test automation results are the output of your test automation execution, which show the status, performance, and quality of your software application. They should be captured, analyzed, and reported in a timely, accurate, and comprehensive manner, following the test automation framework reporting format. The test automation results should also be documented to provide a summary, overview, and details of your test automation execution, such as the number of test cases or scenarios executed, passed, failed, or skipped, the execution time, the defects found, and the screenshots or videos of your test automation execution. The documentation should also include the feedback, recommendations, and action items based on your test automation results.

5 Benefits of test automation documentation

Documenting your test automation process in the agile STLC documentation can bring several benefits to your agile software testing project. This includes the ability to communicate and collaborate with stakeholders, such as developers and product owners, on test automation goals. Additionally, it can help you plan and design your test automation process more effectively by defining the scope, approach, tools, structure, standards and best practices of your test automation framework. Furthermore, it can help you develop and execute your test automation scripts more consistently and reliably by following the guidelines of the framework. Lastly, it can help you evaluate and improve your test automation process more objectively and systematically by capturing, analyzing and reporting the status, performance and quality of your test automation execution. This also allows for feedback, recommendations and action items based on your test automation results.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?